SRC’s M&E exercise traverses 47 county governments

By Anthony Mwangi and Stephen Oinga

The Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) concluded a countrywide monitoring and evaluation (M&E) exercise, that assessed adherence by county governments to advice, circulars, gazette notices and guidelines as issued by SRC from time to time on remuneration and benefits.

The initiative was spearheaded by SRC Commissioners, Wangui Muchiri, Hon. Sen. Isaac Melly, Abdiwahab Abdi and Dr. Jacob Mbijjiwe, and accompanied by Anne Gitau, Commission Secretary/CEO and the secretariat team.

The exercise was undertaken from 27 October to 12 December 2024, covering all 47 counties, and involved engaging both the County Executive and County Assembly arms of the devolved governments.

The M&E was supported under the Second Kenya Devolution Support Programme (KDSP II) and aligns with the Result Area 2 on Intergovernmental Coordination, Institutional Performance and Human Resource Management.

This is a Disbursement Linked Indicator programme and implementation of the activity will be key in the achievement of the overall goal of KDSP II, which is funded by the World Bank.

SRC’s engagement teams held incisive sessions with county leaders, including governors and speakers of county assemblies during courtesy calls, and further dialogued with technical county staff in the areas of accounting, finance, human resource, administration, and payroll.

The exercise also involved an in-depth review of key documents, including staff establishments, human resources policies, payroll records, and financial statements.

Speaking during a visit to Kwale County, SRC Commissioner Wangui Muchiri emphasised the importance of collaboration between SRC and county governments in managing the public wage bill.

“SRC has been holding bilateral talks with governors and county leadership to bolster mutual collaboration and ensure the public wage bill remains sustainable,” she said.

During the same visit, Kwale County Assembly Speaker Hon. Seth Mwatela, acknowledged SRC’s efforts in managing the public wage bill.

In Homa Bay, Governor Gladys Wanga shared her administration’s strides in enhancing productivity by introducing performance contracts for Chief Executive Committee Members and Chief Officers.

“This is part of our commitment to boost performance and accountability,” said Governor Wanga.

“The presence of SRC in Marsabit County is a testament to our commitment towards fostering regular stakeholder interaction,” said SRC Commissioner Abdiwahab Abdi, during a courtesy call to Solomon Gubo, Deputy Governor, Marsabit County.

“Our visit seeks to achieve three goals, county stakeholders engagement, monitoring implementation of remuneration and benefits as set, reviewed and advised by SRC, and sensitisation on SRC mandate and advice,” Abdi reiterated.

“SRC is highly committed to stakeholder engagement as a continuous step-by-step process. We are delighted to work with you to form synergistic partnerships,” said SRC Commissioner Hon. Sen. Isaac Melly, during the M&E visit to the County Executive and County Assembly of Busia.

He added: “We are indeed hopeful, through our joint collaborative spirit, that by the time we depart from your county, we shall have addressed your concerns.”

In Siaya County, SRC Commissioner Dr. Jacob Mbijjiwe led SRC’s delegation in a courtesy call to the Executive and a sensitisation session for the county employees on SRC circulars.

“SRC monitors implementation of its advice through regular M&E and continuous engagement with stakeholders,” said Dr. Mbijjiwe, while engaging the County Executive, noting that the aim is to enhance adherence levels to SRC’s advice and circulars.

The county wage bill has been rising over the years and there has been concerted effort by SRC and stakeholders to bring it to a level that is affordable, competitive, equitable, transparent and sustainable.

Counties, as well as other government agencies, have presented unsustainably high levels of spending on the wage bill.

This negatively impacts on development and service provision by crowding out resources that could otherwise be used in development priorities, such as social and infrastructure development programmes and projects, as well as on service delivery.

To strengthen the management of the public service wage bill, SRC and stakeholders in county governments regularly and consistently analyse the wage bill data at the county level towards the identification of emerging wage bill trends and intrinsic characteristics of such trends.

In Embu County, Anne Gitau, Commission Secretary/CEO, reaffirmed the alignment of the M&E exercise at the county level with Resolutions of the Third National Wage Bill Conference (NWBC), recently held in April 2024, at the Bomas of Kenya.

During the NWBC, ten Resolutions were adopted, with the expected outcome of realising a wage-bill-to-revenue ratio that will not exceed 35 per cent by 2028. Implementation of these Resolutions will ensure that the public wage bill is affordable and fiscally sustainable, thus, freeing up resources for development and other government priority areas.

The M&E exercise was conducted by multiple multi-agency teams operating concurrently across the country, led by SRC Commissioners and supported by secretariat staff. The comprehensive approach ensured all counties were covered within the stipulated timeline.

With the fieldwork now completed, SRC will compile a detailed report highlighting its findings and recommendations for decision-making. This initiative reflects SRC’s continued commitment to fostering compliance, accountability, and sustainability in managing Kenya’s public wage bill.